Starting a Community


Affordable, Developer-Driven Ecovillages: Meeting an Unmet Need

Posted on April 21, 2017 by
1 Comment

A replicable ecovillage model is our best hope for achieving essential, global-scale changes.


Cloughjordan Ecovillage: Modeling the Transition to a Low-Carbon Society

Posted on August 1, 2016 by

Irish ecovillagers achieve the smallest ecological footprints recorded in their country.


Leaps of Faith

Posted on April 21, 2016 by
2 Comments

Two families leave a thriving cohousing community to follow their shared dreams as a tight-knit intergenerational group.


Common Fire’s Top Ten Hard-Earned Tips for Community Success

Posted on April 11, 2016 by
1 Comment

The sometimes triumphant, sometimes traumatic experiences of the three Common Fire communities yield wisdom relevant to anyone working to create a community.


Off-Grid, and In Community: ’Tis Easier to Find than to Found

Posted on April 1, 2016 by
1 Comment

The co-director of Maitreya Mountain Village suggests others not follow his example.


Words of Experience: Starting a Community

Posted on March 1, 2016 by
1 Comment

A founder shares a well-learned lesson: “It is a LOT of work to start an intentional community. A LOT.”


The New Communities Directory: A Star Chart for Seekers and Founders

Posted on February 25, 2016 by
4 Comments

Whether you’re starting a community or looking to join one, the new Communities Directory is an essential resource.


Finding or Starting a Community, #170 Contents

Posted on February 22, 2016 by

Those seeking an intentional community are often faced with a choice: find it, or found it? Whether looking to join an existing community or working to start a new one, aspiring communitarians can glean invaluable lessons from the experiences of other seekers and pioneers. Our Spring issue is full of success stories, cautionary tales, adventures, reflections, advice, and resources for anyone interested in Finding or Starting a Community.


Getting to Community and Life after Community: Collectivism vs. Individuality

Posted on January 1, 2016 by
1 Comment

Togetherness and solitude, action and reflection—our lives give us times for each.


An Evolving Movement

Posted on December 21, 2015 by
1 Comment

The FIC’s new Executive Director reflects on his and the organization’s converging paths.


Three Kinds of Community—Three Kinds of Experience and Learning

Posted on December 1, 2015 by

Whether with refugees, in the inner city, or in intentional groups, community holds life-long lessons.


Land Use Regulations, Urban Planners, and Intentional Communities

Posted on October 11, 2015 by
1 Comment

A century since the United States’ first citywide zoning ordinance, community founders can find support in unexpected places when navigating land use laws.


My Struggle to Legalize Sustainable Living

Posted on October 1, 2015 by
8 Comments

After nearly three decades of activity, a pioneering eco-community collapses under the weight of legal attacks by a small group of neighbors.


It Takes All Kinds to Raise a Village

Posted on September 21, 2015 by

After an engaged local citizenry creates cultural shifts, a city endorses rather than prosecutes code-bending strategies that promote resilient community.


My Intentional Community and the Law

Posted on September 11, 2015 by

Breitenbush has a long history of dealing with legalities and illegalities, from installing a volcano as their “boiler” and blocking old-growth logging to successfully petitioning for a zoning variance.


Zoning Nightmare: Hartford’s Scarborough Street House

Posted on September 1, 2015 by

An unconventional family fights to stay in their collective house in the face of antiquated local ordinances which suppress community living.


Free Land on a Tropical Island!?

Posted on March 6, 2015 by
6 Comments

Free land on a tropical island!? Pitcairn, a small remote paradise-like island in the South Pacific is running out of people. They are giving land for free to people who… Read More


From Conversation to Community: How a Bunch of Mates Bought Some Land Together

Posted on October 21, 2014 by

“Wouldn’t it be great to buy a block of land together in the bush?” Dinner party conversations yield unexpected fruit.


Vision, Money, and Sustainability: Bringing in Renters while Building the Dream

Posted on July 29, 2014 by
2 Comments

In the quest for sustainability, long-term goals can yield to short-term needs and opportunities, fertilizing new growth in unpredictable ways.


Sharing Spaces, Sharing Values: Entrepreneurship at Dragon’s Nest Cooperative Homestead

Posted on July 18, 2014 by

“Founder’s joy” can wear off very quickly in the chaos of financial instability and unclear agreements.


The Peace Bridge

Posted on September 14, 2013 by

Tamarack Institute and FIC invite all of us to share our conversations about community.


Elders in Community

Posted on September 14, 2013 by

Two community founders offer ongoing lessons and inspiration.


Yes, Wealthy People Want to Live in Community in Sustainable Ways Too!

Posted on June 7, 2013 by
1 Comment

The facilitator of a telephone support group offers 14 suggestions from current or aspiring communitarians with significant financial resources.


An Interview with Ira Wallace

Posted on March 7, 2013 by

A community pioneer and activist shares her stories.


Achieving Affordability with Cohousing

Posted on March 7, 2013 by
6 Comments

Cohousing is intrinsically an affordable model; here’s why and how.


Creating a Community of Homesteaders

Posted on March 7, 2013 by

A land trust with leaseholds keeps members’ costs down while allowing a combination of autonomy and connection.


Affordability: Angst and Angels

Posted on March 7, 2013 by
2 Comments

Kara Huntermoon of Heart-Culture Farm shares her community’s affordability strategies.


New Beginnings at Oakleigh Meadow Cohousing

Posted on December 7, 2012 by

A forming cohousing group experiences its share of bumps, but comes together to move forward.


My Advice to Others Planning to Start an Ecovillage

Posted on September 7, 2012 by
4 Comments

An ecovillage founder offers 10 guidelines for success, including “Start with people.”


Living the Questions

Posted on September 7, 2012 by

Belfast Cohousing & Ecovillage grapples with obstacles to create a visionary housing project in rural Maine.